Selling Glassware
Those old wine glasses you got as a wedding gift or that crystal decanter you found in your grandmother's attic have been gathering dust for years. Instead of taking up space, let them fatten your wallet instead. Many types of glassware are collectible and fetch a high price from glassware enthusiasts. No matter what type of glassware you have, chances are you can sell it. By doing some research before you sell and finding the best outlets when it comes time to offload your product, you can maximize the amount of money you receive when it comes time to sell your glassware.
If you have old or expensive glassware to sell, you are going to want to figure out exactly what kind of product you have on your hands before you price it for buyers. By using a pattern recognition service, many of which can be found online, you can identify the style and type of glassware piece you are dealing with. Once you know that information, you can price the piece accordingly.
Unless you are attending a trade show or market, the premier outlet for selling glassware is the Internet. Taking your item online exposes you to the maximum number of buyers and streamlines the transaction and shipping of your item. Browse online auction sites (either general ones or those dedicated to glassware) and see what pieces identical or similar to yours are selling for. That will help you adjust the price of your glassware item in accordance with the market. Price it too low and you'll lose money. Price it far higher than other similar offerings and customers will buy the piece from someone else.
Online auction site eBay has an entire section devoted to pottery and glass. This is where glassware enthusiasts looking for that hard-to-find piece come to scour thousands of online offerings. Other online auction sites also allow you to sell your glassware, and some sites even specialize in it. If you have crystal, Classic Replacements, an online glassware buyer, will offer you a price for it. If you've got enough information about the piece, you can also post a targeted ad on Craigslist describing the piece's merits.
Like any other hobby or pursuit, glassware buying goes through its own cycle of trends. Knowing what's popular can help you get top dollar for your items, no matter where you sell them. Vintage pieces are always in high demand, especially if they're made by Fiestaware or Murano. Certain styles of glassware are popular as well, including Early American pattern glass, milk glass and carnival glass.